Background and Purpose
The declining rates of physical activity among children, particularly adolescent girls, are well-documented. Health professionals have shined the spotlight on the rising obesity epidemic and its related healthcare problems; for example, in February 2010, the American Academy of Pediatrics joined with the White House, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Education, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Let’s Move! initiative to reduce rates of overweight and obesity in our nation's children . While much is known about the types of behaviors needed to improve health of children, there has been insufficient research into the attitudes of children themselves that prevent or facilitate these health behaviors, particularly active travel. This paper utilizes data from the Family Activity Study, a multi-year longitudnal intervention study in Portland, Oregon. The Family Activity Study is seeking to determine the effect of traffic calming interventions on the active travel behaviors, perceptions, and attitudes of families in the Portland area. Data collection includes surveys and observed behaviors using a combination of GPS and accelerometer data. This research draws from the surveys taken by the children in the FAS, representing 490 children aged four to seventeen years. Better understanding children’s attitudes from their own perspectives can help illuminate the appropriate types and target groups for particular interventions, physical or otherwise.
Objectives
To examine attitudes and perceptions about active transportation among children aged 4-17 years; in particular, to analyze differences among genders and along the age spectrum. to examine more closely the roles that attitudes about ability, skill, self-efficacy, and sensitivity to certain environments or facilities varies across gender and age of children.
Methods
As part of the Family Activity Study, 490 children answered surveys regarding their attitudes, perceptions, and behaviors about traveling by walking, bicycling, or being in a car. Two surveys of varying length and complexity were administered to the 4-10 and 11-17 age groups, respectively. The 4-10 age cohort included 151 boys and 149 girls, and the 11-17 age cohort included 91 boys and 75 girls. Analysis of the attitudes was largely exploratory, in order to determine trends and relationships not apparent in existing literature. The correlation with active travel and familial support, perceived ability, and fear of embarrassment or injury were examined in depth.
Results
The analysis showed an expected and significant gender gap in views about active travel, particularly among adolescents. A threshold was exposed at which girls begin to report concerns about their ability to exercise correctly and ride their bike well. Boys and girls did not differ significantly on these measures until age 12, when the effect of these concerns began to negatively affect girls’ attitudes about active travel. Statistically-significant difference was seen between genders on measures of being embarrassed if seen by other kids (m=1.833 for girls, m=1.512 for boys, p<0.05) and fear of injury while bicycling (m=1.956 for girls, m=1.631 for boys, p<0.05). Social concerns like embarrassment did not play a significant role in boy’s attitudes about travel. in addition, girls who reported liking exercise were significantly (p<0.05) more likely to report liking and being confident bicycling, while there was no significant relationship among boys, suggesting that girls are more likely to view bicycling as exercise or requiring non-trivial effort. This, when combined with perceived lack of ability and concern about injury and embarrassment, may form a significant barrier to bicycling for adolescent girls.
Conclusions
This data offers a wealth of insight into the attitudes of children about active travel and physical activity. The detailed results about the emergent age of gender gaps in attitudes suggest likely target groups for intervening to positively affect adolescent girls’ attitudes about their abilities to travel by bicycle in particular. The ability to examine attitudes among household members and between school-aged siblings allows an unprecedented examination of the roles of children’s attitudes about active travel. This in turn points toward particular physical and social interventions to increase physical activity in general, active travel in particular, and to positively impact the health outcomes of children.
Support / Funding Source
Funding Source: Active Living Research program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation February 2010 - January 2013 Award Amount: $399,836 Principal Investigator: Dill, Jennifer, Ph.D.Sponsoring Organization: Portland State University Topics: Transportation, B.
